Gill overtakes Kohli to register best SENA tour by an Indian, on cusp of joining Bradman, Gavaskar in elite list

MANCHESTER: Shubman Gill continues to etch his name in the history books. On Day 4 of the Manchester Test, the Indian captain went past Virat Kohli’s 2014-15 tally in Australia to record the most runs by an Indian batter in a SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand, Australia) tour.

Gill is currently unbeaten on 78 and has taken his total to a staggering 697 runs in the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy with still one more day left in the fourth Test and another full Test to go at The Oval.

The 25-year-old has now overtaken Kohli’s 692-run effort during the 2014-15 Border-Gavaskar Trophy and has also registered the second-best Test series performance by an Indian captain, both home and away.

Only the great Sunil Gavaskar’s iconic 732-run series against West Indies in 1978-79 stands ahead of him and that came across six Tests. With the way Gill is batting, Gavaskar’s record could well be in danger.

What’s even more remarkable is that Gill has already scored three centuries in this series, and if he manages to convert his current innings into a fourth hundred on Day 5, he’ll join an elite club alongside Don Bradman and Sunil Gavaskar for the joint-most centuries in a single Test series by a captain.

Kohli, who scored 655 runs in five Tests at home against England in 2016-17, also slips down in the all-time list of best series performances by an Indian skipper.

Gill’s temperament, timing, and hunger for big runs have been evident throughout this tour.

Earlier in the fourth Day of the Test match, India recovered after initial shocks in their second innings of the fourth Test but the team is still in deep waters with England scoring a massive 669 in their first innings and getting an overall lead of 311 over the visitors.

The Indian second innings began on a shocking note with Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sai Sudarshan going back to pavilion on duck. KL Rahul and Captain Shubman Gill steadied India’s innings with patient and stellar stand of 174 runs.

India finished Day 4 on 174/2 and are now 137 runs behind England. If the Indian team is able to salvage match on the fifth and final day on Sunday, it will be an achievement in itself.

England went wicketless in the final session as Indian batters added 126 runs to their tally, with KL Rahul 87* and Shubman Gill 78* unbeaten on the crease.

India started the third session at 86/2 with Gill, who looked in fine touch, notched up his eighth Test fifty and fourth against England off 77 deliveries. (ANI)